


so come with me and take the ride (it'll take you to the other side)

by georgiehensley



Series: greatest showman/newsies [1]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken, The Greatest Showman (2017), The Greatest Showman (Movies)
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, First Meetings, Gen, Protectiveness, Strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 14:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13237854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/georgiehensley/pseuds/georgiehensley
Summary: Barnum could never let a poor kid freeze out on the city streets; that's why he decides to let Crutchie into his theater.Set during the movie.





	so come with me and take the ride (it'll take you to the other side)

**Author's Note:**

> i watched _greatest showman_ today and i absolutely LOVED it. while watching it, i couldn't help but think about the possibility of a _newsies_ crossover, so i wrote a short one. i blame jeremy and andrew's inclusion in those early read-through videos.
> 
> i'm not sure, exactly, if the time periods sync up, but i did notice that _showman_ definitely takes place in new york city, so it's plausible in that sense, at least!
> 
> oh, also, this might read at times like pre-slash, but that really wasn't my intentions. barnum is married, of course, but he is a good-looking guy - if crutchie's a little blushy around him, well, can you blame him? :P
> 
> title from the film's song "the other side".

It's cold. So, so cold. Cold enough that Crutchie can hardly feel the skin on his face, let alone his hands and legs and feet. It's an effort just to stand, his crutch nearly slipping out of his grip. He has just enough sense to catch it before it does, breath clouding around him.  
  
His body shakes as shivers trickle from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. For a moment, he closes his eyes, willing the cold away. And, for that moment, it seems to work, as he imagines himself someplace warm, like the beach, or the bakery just down the street--  
  
"Hey, kid, get in here," a rough voice cuts into his fantasy, snapping him back to reality. He tries to find the source, only for his gaze to land on a seemingly tough-looking man, one old enough to be his father.  
  
"Me?" he asks, pointing to himself to make sure he was the one who caught the man's attention. The man nods, and Crutchie's quick to follow his orders, stumbling on the frozen ground as he crosses the alleyway. He nearly trips on a cobblestone just as he reaches the doorway, only for the man to catch him in his strong arms. Crutchie feels himself blush as he's aided back into a straight, standing position, but he blames it on the heat of the building that hits his skin all too suddenly.  
  
"Come on," the man says when Crutchie's balanced again, walking further inside. Crutchie tries to catch up, the door falling shut behind them.  
  
"Thank you, Mister, uh--"  
  
"Barnum."  
  
"Mr. Barnum--hey, you're the guy with that stage show for all the strange people, right?"  
  
The man--P.T. Barnum--laughs. "That, I am."  
  
"Wow. I'm a big fan of yours. I sneak into your shows all the time--oh."  
  
Barnum only laughs again. "It's alright, kid. My show is open to anyone who wants to see it."  
  
Crutchie smiles, biting his lip as a silence falls over them, sans for the sounds of Barnum's footsteps and Crutchie's crutch against the floor.  
  
"Mr. Barnum, sir, don't my asking, but, why did you bring me in here?"  
  
Barnum stops, turning towards Crutchie.  
  
"Well, I couldn't just let a kid like you be stuck out there in the cold," he answers. "And I was wondering if you'd like to join my cast."  
  
"Me? What can I do?"  
  
"You must be pretty strong up top in order to carry your weight around all time," Barnum says, looking Crutchie up and down, the younger man's face heating beneath his gaze. "Maybe you'd be good at trapezing."  
  
"Like, flying through the air and stuff?" Crutchie asks. "Mr. Barnum, I don't really like heights."  
  
"How do you feel about elephants?"  
  
"Live elephants?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Uh--"  
  
"Let's not worry about it now. We have plenty of time to figure out your talent."  
  
"Sir, I-I don't know if I wanna be in your show."  
  
"Oh. Sorry for assuming--"  
  
"No, no, it's fine, I just--I'm honored that you thought of me, and if you don't mind, I would love to call your theater home for the night--" Barnum smiles. "--I just think I need time to decide if I want to join your show, and how."  
  
"Take all the time you need, kid," Barnum says. "My theater is yours. Here, I'll take you upstairs. You can spend the night there. You can go up stairs, right?"  
  
Crutchie laughs. "Yes. Thank you, Sir."  
  
"Please, just call me Mr. Barnum."  
  
Crutchie smiles, and follows when Barnum turns and continues to walk.


End file.
